The Nearest Exit

Faced with the end of his quiet, settled life, reluctant spy Milo Weaver has no choice but to turn back to his old job as a “tourist”. Before he can get back to the CIA’s dirty work, he has to prove his loyalty to his new bosses, who know little of Milo’s background and less about who is really pulling the strings in the government above the Department of Tourism—or in the outside world, which is beginning to believe the legend of its existence.

I've listened to all of the author's books on Audible and this is his best so far. It's tighter than the others, is well written and flows well. There were lots of twists and turns in an internatinal setting that made the book interesting and kept my attention. The character of Milo Weaver is a good one. I wonder at times how much of the European life descibed is the life lived to an extent by Steinhauer. If there is another in this series I'll look forward to it.

Gilead

In 1956, toward the end of Reverend John Ames's life, he begins a letter to his young son, an account of himself and his forebears. Ames is the son of an Iowan preacher and the grandson of a minister who, as a young man in Maine, saw a vision of Christ bound in chains and came west to Kansas to fight for abolition: He "preached men into the Civil War", then, at age 50, became a chaplain in the Union Army, losing his right eye in battle.

I originally listened to this book when it came out 10 years ago, mainly because the author was a professor at the University of Iowa, which I attended, and she is still part of the Iowa Writer's Workshop there even today in her 70's.In the ensuing 10 years she published two more books, "Home" and "Lila" also set in the fictional SW Iowa town, Gilead, with the same characters. After listening to the other two I was intrigued enough to research the author more in depth, trying to better understand what the meaning of her books is. I don't often listen to a book a second time but, in this case, I decided I wanted to. The author is a member of the Congregationalist Church of Christ in Iowa City and sometimes even preaches sermons. She is a thinker, an intellectual, and a deeply religious person. Her books are not typical books where there is an exciting ending, rather she is putting her beliefs on paper in the form of fiction. Her books are, in her way, a sermon on life. In this book, the protagonist, a preacher, marries a much younger woman at age 69 and fathers a child. At age 76 and with the end of his life in sight, his wife suggests he write down his life story, his history and beliefs, so that his son can one day better understand what kind of man his father was. This whole book, "Gilead", is that letter to his son. I suspect other books set in Gilead will be forthcoming some day.

Edge of Eternity: The Century Trilogy, Book 3

Throughout these books, Follett has followed the fortunes of five intertwined families - American, German, Russian, English, and Welsh - as they make their way through the twentieth century. Now they come to one of the most tumultuous eras of all: the enormous social, political, and economic turmoil of the 1960s through the 1980s, from civil rights, assassinations, mass political movements and Vietnam to the Berlin Wall, the Cuban Missile Crisis, presidential impeachment, revolution - and rock and roll.

This marks the end of the Centuries Trilogy. It starts in 1961 with the building of the Berlin wall and the Cuban missile crisis. It ends in the late 80's with the fall of the wall. If you've made it this far, you've enjoyed the trilogy. It was an interesting ride, following Russian, German, English and American families through three generations and all of the major events that were big during that time. This book was especially interesting to me as I was 10 years old when the book started and I lived through all the events of the book, it made it seem all the more real.

Lila: A Novel

Lila, homeless and alone after years of roaming the countryside, steps inside a small-town Iowa church - the only available shelter from the rain - and ignites a romance and a debate that will reshape her life. She becomes the wife of a minister, John Ames, and begins a new existence while trying to make sense of the life that preceded her newfound security. Neglected as a toddler, Lila was rescued by Doll, a canny young drifter, and brought up by her in a hardscrabble childhood.

This isn't a book for everyone, it's a book for thinkers, those who think about God, life, and what iife is all about. Life is what it is is the mantra I took away from the story. A sequel to the author's Pulitzer Prize winning "Gilead", it's also set in Gilead, Iowa with mostly the same characters. This book, however, focuses on Lila, one of the minor characters in the book Gilead. The author has worked at the University of Iowa and its Writers Workshop for the last 25 years. She's a thinker, an intellectual and this, and her other books, are a reflection of the believes she has developed over her lifetime. The author is a member of the United Church of Christ and a follower of the teachings of John Calvin. The more I learned about her in researching her life, it came to me that this is her way to put what she thinks about life and religion into a book as a parable set in a fictional small Iowa town. If you enjoy her books and what they are saying it makes you want to know more.

The Marco Effect: Department Q, Book 5

All fifteen-year-old Marco Jameson wants is to become a Danish citizen and go to school like a normal teenager. But his uncle Zola rules his former gypsy clan with an iron fist. Revered as a god and feared as a devil, Zola forces the children of the clan to beg and steal for his personal gain. When Marco discovers a dead body - proving the true extent of Zola's criminal activities - he goes on the run. But his family members aren't the only ones who'll go to any lengths to keep Marco silent - forever.

This was a bit of a different kind of Dept Q story. There is the normal enjoyable banter among the Dept Q members as they work the crime but the chase for Marco dominates the story and to a certain extent Dept Q didn't solve the crime, it almost solved itself. Marco had good guys chasing after him and all kinds of bad guys and the chase was intense. This story had some really bad guys but it didn't seem as dark as some of the other stories by the author. It was still an enjoyable listen along with the other Dept Q books.

To Kill a Mockingbird

Harper Lee’s Pulitzer prize-winning masterwork of honor and injustice in the deep south - and the heroism of one man in the face of blind and violent hatred, available now for the first time as a digital audiobook. One of the best-loved stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than 40 languages, sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an enormously popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the 20th century by librarians across the country.

What can you say about this book that hasn't already been said, it's a great book. I'd seen the movie 10-20 times over the years but had never read the book. When I came across this audio version narrated by Sissy Spacek I decided it was time to dive into the book. It was excellent.

Restless in the Grave

Alaska aviation entrepreneur Finn Grant died in the fiery crash of his Piper Super Cub. Someone sabotaged his engine, and virtually everyone in southwestern Alaska has a motive, including his betrayed wife, his bullied children, and Liam’s wife, bush pilot Wyanet Chouinard. With few places to turn, Liam asks his former mentor Niniltna post commander Sergeant Jim Chopin, for help, and Jim quickly brings Kate onto the case. Working undercover as - of all things - a waitress at Bill’s Bar and Grill, Kate learns over beer and burgers that Grant’s business had expanded meteorically over the last two years.

This is my second Stabenow Kate Shugak novel and I enjoyed them both. The mystery/crime side of the story was interesting. One of the highlights to the book is the Alaska setting. This book was set in January and you'd think SW Alaska would be cold and nasty and the book makes it seem that way. Plus you get the feel for Alaska in general, the people, the landscape, the lifestyle, etc. In fact, at the end of the book the author has a short interview where she states the book is about all things Alaskan, that's a good way to put it. If there was one distraction it was the narrator. I read some of the reviews before listening to the book so had an ear out for the narrator and she seemed to be talking a bit too fast. I went so far as to slow down the audio on my iPod and that didn't solve it. She must just talk fast, I can't think it was intentional on the part of the producers. But like most audiobooks, in my experience anyway, you get used to the narrator in about every book the further you get into it and this one was no different. After getting about a quarter of the way through the book I quit paying attention to the narrator and just enjoyed the story.

The Long Way Home: Chief Inspector Gamache, Book 10

Happily retired in the village of Three Pines, Armand Gamache, former Chief Inspector of Homicide with the Sûreté du Québec, has found a peace he'd only imagined possible. On warm summer mornings he sits on a bench holding a small book, The Balm in Gilead, in his large hands. "There is a balm in Gilead," his neighbor Clara Morrow reads from the dust jacket, "to make the wounded whole." While Gamache doesn't talk about his wounds and his balm, Clara tells him about hers. Peter, her artist husband, has failed to come home. Failed to show up as promised on the first anniversary of their separation. She wants Gamache's help to find him. Having finally found sanctuary, Gamache feels a near revulsion at the thought of leaving Three Pines. "There’s power enough in Heaven," he finishes the quote as he contemplates the quiet village, "to cure a sin-sick soul." And then he gets up. And joins her.

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is now retired after ending the previous book battered and bruised, mentally and physically and living in Three Pines getting healthy. And a different kind of mystery finds its way to him in the form of a missing person. He is asked by Clara Morrow to help find her overdue husband, Peter. So, Gamache's natural investigative instincts get involved. Since this has been on the surface a series about crime this book was different in that no crime has been committed. The author's books have never been intense crime thrillers and this book solidifies that what her books are really about are life and human nature. And, she throws in some Canadian history and geography, this time eastern Quebec up the St Lawrence River almost to the Atlantic Ocean. Still the tale of Three Pines and its characters continues and I'll look forward to the next one. As an aside, the narrator of the books up to this point, Ralph Gosham, died after finishing this book. To many, including me, he had become the voice of Armand Gamache. It will be interesting and tricky I'd guess to see how the publisher replaces the narrator.

Pines

Wayward Pines, Idaho, is quintessential small-town America — or so it seems. Secret Service agent Ethan Burke arrives in search of two missing federal agents, yet soon is facing much more than he bargained for. After a violent accident lands him in the hospital, Ethan comes to with no ID and no cell phone. The medical staff seems friendly enough, but something feels…off. As the days pass, Ethan’s investigation into his colleagues’ disappearance turns up more questions than answers. Why can’t he make contact with his family in the outside world? Why doesn’t anyone believe he is who he says he is? And what’s the purpose of the electrified fences encircling the town? Are they keeping the residents in? Or something else out? Each step toward the truth takes Ethan further from the world he knows, until he must face the horrifying possibility that he may never leave Wayward Pines alive…

First time author, this book seems to come from the genre where you're in a reality that doesn't appear to be real and you're trying to figure out what the reality is. The plot keeps unfolding even right up to the end. I realized only while listening to the book and researching the author a bit that this is the first book in a trilogy so there's a ways to go before figuring it all out. It is interesting and the author was really imaginative in coming up with the plot. I did read where this book is the basis for a TV series on Fox network TV starting around May 2015.

The Secret Place: Dublin Murder Squad, Book 5

"The Secret Place", a board where the girls at St Kilda's School can pin up their secrets anonymously, is normally a mishmash of gossip and covert cruelty, but today someone has used it to reignite the stalled investigation into the murder of handsome, popular Chris Harper. Stephen joins forces with the abrasive Detective Antoinette Conway to find out who and why.

If I only read the reviews in audible on this book I might not have purchased it. But I had so enjoyed the first four books by the author I knew I would buy it nonetheless and I'm glad I did. Often with foreign accented narrators it takes some time to get used to the accent, in this case a male and female with an Irish accent. The male was fine but the female could be a bit hard to understand although I did find that if I put on my Bose headset I more easily understood the female. But as the book wore on, as usual, it got easier and easier to understand them both even without the headset. I did find it interesting that the author would choose to have a crime story set in a girls prep school with the teenage students as the primary suspects. I'm not sure who the target audience is other than just Tanqa French fans. But I will say that once again the author proves she is a great writer with awesome insight into human nature. She goes inside the school and brings the teenage lives to life. She also goes inside the heads of the two main detectives, mainly the male whose perspective most of the book is written from. Once you get into the characters, the setting and get used to the narrators the book flows along quite nicely. Tana French has written each of the books in the series using different characters for each book. Sometimes I wish she would loop back around and bring back some of her old characters to life and finish some of the personal stories, relationships she nurtures in her books. I really do enjoy her book, that's for sure.

Sentinels of Fire

By the spring of 1945, the once mighty Japanese fleet has been virtually destroyed, leaving Japan open to invasion. The Japanese react by dispatching hundreds of suicide bombers against the Allied fleet surrounding Okinawa. By mid-May, the Allied fleet is losing a major ship a day to murderous swarms of kamikazes streaming out of Formosa and southern Japan.

For fiction, PT Deutermann's depictions have to be among the best written in actually describing what the Navy war against the Japanese in the Pacific theater must have been like. This book describes the battle of Okinawa from a Navy perspective. The Japanese considered Okinawa part of their homeland, much like we think of Hawaii. The Japanese sensed the end of the war was coming and they were going to lose but their warrior mentality said, seemingly, that they were going to fight to their last breath. If you were in the American fleet in the Okinawa campaign you life was on the line every single day. I've come to really enjoy this author's books.

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